In Native American legends, the crow could talk. Because of this, it was considered one of the wisest of birds. The sacred bird of the famous Ghost Dance was the crow.
In England, the species are called rooks. Crows are primarily black; however, on rare occasions a crow will be white. They are mischievous and fond of pranks. They are somewhat shy and suspicious. Fascinated by shiny, bright objects, they will steal things. However, they also attack other birds' eggs and the young. Crows are like noisy watch-dogs when potential danger invades their territory.
The jackdaw, Corvus monedula, is a small crow from Europe and northern Asis. It is black, but the sides of the head are silver-gray. Its eyes are white or luminous gray. It is a sociable bird, loving great numbers of this own species for company. The jackdaw can also be tamed as a pet and taught to talk.
A picture of two crows in ancient Egypt symbolized married happiness; for the Aryan cultures the meaning was the same, along with the idea of food and fertility. To the Hindus, the crow was an emblem of the god Varuna.
It is possible that the word crow cam from Rhea Kronia, a Greek goddess and mother of time, who was a form of the Dark Mother, Mother Death.
Even though this bird was sacred to Apollo in ancient Greece, it was consider to be unlucky. It was said that the goddess Athene never allowed crows to light on the Acropolis, although they were sacred to her also. The Greeks believed, as do some people today, that if a crow perches on a roof it is an omen of death. In auguries, seeing a crow on the left was a warning of coming evil.
The Japanese also consider the crow to be a bird of ill luck, although they believe it brings messages from the gods.
A symbol of conflict, death, and ill-omens, the crow was associated with the Celtic goddesses Macha, Badb, and the Morrigan. The Irish word for crow is badb. This goddess, in the form of a crow, appeared to the Irish hero Cu Chulainn as a warning of his comig death. Branwen, sister of the god Bran the Blessed of Wales, was often portrayed in legend by a white crow. Later, the Celts came to suspect and dread crows as a form taken by faeries to cause problems. They said that the cawing of crows signified the approach of rain.
Krake, the shape-shifting daughter of the Valkyrie Brunnhilde, was said to have married the Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok and become the mother of the Norse-Germanic hero Sigurd (who was the same as Siegfried). Krake and Ragnar also had three prophetic daughters who created a magick banner called Raven(Hraefn).
In North America, the crow was considered to be the keeper of all sacred law, the one who knew the deep mysteries of all creation. Seeing a crow in certain situations was an omen of coming change. Spiritual crow power could lead a seeker to the gates of the supernatural.
The connection between the crow's foot sign and witchcraft began during the Middle Ages. People then said that magicians, and especially witches used this emblem to cast death spells. The description of crow's feet at the corner of the eyes may be a remnant of this superstition, symbolizing the aging process.
To the alchemist, the crow stood for the condition produced when the Elements hade been separated out.
Superstitions: The English have a rhyme about crows: one means anger; two is mirth; three a wedding; four a birth; five is heaven; six is hell; seven is the devil himself.
To the natives of Northamptonshire, however, a single flying crow is an omen of bad luck instead of anger.
If crows make a hoarse, hollow sound, it means bad weather is coming. If a crow calls three times as it fliess over a house, someone will die.
Crows or ravens gathering in trees in the dark, but never really settling, are souls in purgatory, according to the Irish.
In Russia it was believed that a witch's spirit took crow-form.
Another European saying about crows is: one for sorrow; two for mirth; three for a wedding; four for a birth.
Magickal Attributes: Thief, trickery, blodness, skill, cunning, single-mindedness; a bringer of knowledge. Prophecy. Learn from the past but don't hold onto it. Swiftness, eloquence. Shape-shifting. Letting go of past hurts. Learning to mentally shaoe-shift. Divination.
Prince of thieves, cunning and swift,
Your black wings glide among the trees.
Your harsh laughter breaks the silence
As you perform your stealthy magick.
I would learn your cunning and swift magickal ways.